


Neverending Story

by sparklestheclown



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: A+ Plant parent, Felix loves plants, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Height Differences, Hopeful, M/M, bang chan best soup chef, flower shop au, hyunjin chan roomates, this was so much fun to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklestheclown/pseuds/sparklestheclown
Summary: Felix starts over in a new city after leaving his old life behind in Australia.For the SKZ Ship Bingo Squares: Hopeful, Flower Shop, Height Differences, and Roomates.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix
Comments: 8
Kudos: 84





	Neverending Story

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i wrote this with the skz ship bingo squares: florist, roomates, height difference, and hopeful! 
> 
> alternatively, this fic is 2 thousands words abt how chan makes really good soup ._.
> 
> hope you like it!

Felix enjoyed the crisp morning air that comes every autumn as he walked to work. The flower shop was just down the street from his apartment, and he really enjoyed the walk every day. 

It was the beginning of October, which meant he’d lived here for three weeks now. He liked it better here.

As he unlocked the door and got ready to open the flower shop, Felix was grateful. People always talked about wanting a fresh start. And here, Felix could really begin again. Everything that happened back home was behind him. This was his home now.

He began to water the flowers, smiling as a new song came on the radio, the cheerful tune echoed off the walls of the shop, and warm sunlight streamed in from the windows as the sun rose higher. It was a beautiful morning.

The sunflowers were his favorite. They reminded him of times when he was a kid, running through big fields of them with his friends. That felt like a very long time ago.

The bell on the door jingled as someone came in. Felix turned around to see a boy his age standing in the doorway. This boy was, quite possibly, the most beautiful person Felix had ever seen. Ethereal even.

He smiled at Felix, the early morning sunlight warm on his face, as he approached the counter. He glanced around the shop, looking at all of the flowers appreciatively.

“Good morning, how can I help you?” Felix asked.

“I’d like to buy a bouquet of the nicest flowers you have,” the boy answered smiling.

“Sure! Do you have anything specific in mind?” 

The boy didn’t, so Felix walked him around the shop to select different flowers. As he did so he explained some of their meanings and what occasions people normally chose them for.

The boy chose gardenia flowers and some small purple larkspur flowers for his bouquet. They were beautiful. They headed back to the counter so Felix could finish wrapping them.

“I’m Hyunjin, by the way,” the boy said. 

“I’m Felix. If you don’t mind me asking, who are they for?” Felix nodded at the bouquet as he handed it over to Hyunjin. He loved to hear peoples' stories whenever they bought flowers. People bought flowers to celebrate new beginnings, to find solace with endings, or to celebrate a big occasion, and Felix loved to know who each bouquet was for. 

“They’re just for my living room,” Hyunjin said, giggling slightly. "I recently started keeping flowers at my apartment, it makes me happy.” He smiled, dimples appearing on his cheeks. 

Felix nodded in agreement. He also loved having flowers and plants in his apartment. He felt as though one could never have too many plants, and every surface in his place was living proof. He found joy in taking care of plants, growing them from little seedlings, cheering them on as they took root in glasses of water beside the sink. 

“That's really cool. I hope you enjoy these! The gardenias will definitely make your living room smell amazing,” he responded. 

Hyunjin thanked him as he took his flowers and turned to leave.

“See you soon, Felix!” He called as he left. The bell jingled as the door swung closed behind him.

The rest of the day passed quickly and Felix wrapped up at the shop, heading home for that afternoon. He saw a new recipe on Pinterest earlier that day and wanted to hurry home and make it for dinner. He was pretty sure he had at least half of the ingredients needed, but if he didn’t, he decided he would go out to the little cafe down the street instead. He'd been meaning to eat there since he first arrived a few weeks ago, but he hadn't yet had the chance.

As he walked home that evening, Felix thought about how much he loved his new neighborhood. Everything was so different, and so peaceful. He could hear birds singing from the power lines overhead, and the sky was filled with puffy clouds that were tinted pink as the sun sank closer to the horizon. Felix loved it here.

As he got home, he kicked off his shoes by the door before heading to the kitchen to wash his hands. His kitchen was basically a greenhouse for plants. His counter tops were lined with potted plants and by the window he had a corner table where he was growing avocado trees. He had to stoop over to avoid bumping into the fig vine that trailed out of it’s pot above the sink. He needed to transplant that one soon.

After washing his hands, he checked his fridge, double checking with the recipe. It was a dish that had chicken and lots of different vegetables, which Felix soon discovered he did not have. The only ingredient that he did have was the mustard that would be used to make the sauce. He made a mental note to himself to go to the market tomorrow morning to stock up on more groceries.

But for now, he just sighed, and headed back to the door, slipping his shoes on again before heading back out into the city. He was glad that now he had the chance to try that restaurant after all. 

As he reached the little building, he was surprised. This wasn't the little sandwich shop he had thought it was. Instead it was a cute little restaurant, the tables all had tablecloths and were set rather formally. He glanced down at his jeans and button down top, hoping that he wasn’t covered in dirt from the flower shop. He could head home and change but just as he thought about it, the host came to seat him. 

“Welcome! How many are in your party?” He asked leading Felix through the restaurant towards the tables.

“Oh, it’s just me,” Felix said, smiling as he was led to a two person table by the window. He ordered water and sat, watching the cars go by outside as the sun began to set. A moment later, a waiter arrived to bring his water.

“Good evening, my name is Hyunjin and I’ll be taking your order tonight,” Felix looked up, surprised. _Was it really-?_ Yes it was. 

The same Hyunjin from earlier stood in front of him, looking as though he was currently having a similar epiphany. He had pulled his long blond hair back into a ponytail, and wore a pressed white button down with black slacks. Felix thought he’d looked good that morning, but seeing him now made his chest feel slightly tight. Sometimes pretty boys had that effect on Felix.

“Hey, you’re from the flower shop!” Hyunjin exclaimed, smiling. “What would you like to eat?”

“Hey again! Yeah um, what do you recommend? I’ve never been here before so I’m not sure what to try,” Felix said.

“Sure!” Hyunjin said as though he’d been waiting all day for someone to ask for a recommendation. He sat down across from Felix, grabbing the other menu and flipping through it. 

“I personally love this soup right here. I eat it whenever I’m on break,” He told Felix, “It has a lot of vegetables in it, so I feel really healthy while eating it!”

“Okay, I’ll try that!” Felix said. 

“Great! I’ll have it out in just a minute!” Hyunjin got up and hurried back to the kitchen. Felix gazed at the restaurant again that had now begun to fill up with customers. Mostly families and couples obviously on dates. 

Felix didn’t mind being by himself. There was a difference between being alone and being lonely, and that was a very important distinction to make when one had just moved to a new country all alone. It was to be expected.

Hyunjin returned from the kitchen a minute later, bowls and plates stacked on his arms. He hurried around the restaurant delivering people their food, before he reached Felix’s table. He had two bowls left in his hands.

“Here’s your soup!” He said proudly, placing the steaming bowl of soup down before Felix. He stood there for a moment looking unsure before he spoke again. 

“I hate to ask this, but my shift just ended and there’s nowhere else to sit, could I join you?” He asked shyly. 

“Of course!” Felix said, “Please join, I’d love to have some company!”

Hyunjin grinned as he set down an identical bowl of soup before he sank down into the chair across from Felix. He looked like he’d been on his feet all day, and with the rush hour starting, strands of blond hair had fallen loose from his ponytail and framed his face. His cheeks were slightly flushed as he leaned forward and tried the soup. He smiled and sat back, before he looked up at Felix to see him try the soup as well.

Felix leaned forward, ladling some of the broth onto his spoon and trying it. As he tasted it, he wondered if he’d died and was now in heaven. This was the best tasting soup he’d ever had. 

He looked up at Hyunjin incredulously, 

“Ohmygod this soup is so good!” He gushed. “Thank you for recommending it!”

“Of course, it’s my favorite too!” Hyunjin smiled.

“What’s the secret ingredient?” Felix asked. 

“”The secret ingredient is that my best friend Chan is the chef. That’s why it’s so good,” Hyunjin said. “Trust me, I’ve tried to make it myself and it doesn’t come close. I almost burned the apartment down that day and Chan had to help me put the fire out,” he admitted.

They both ate in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the soup. It was nice, eating with someone. Felix enjoyed the atmosphere; the bustle of other diners in the background, the music coming from the kitchen whenever the door was opened, and the sounds of his and Hyunjin’s spoons clinking against their bowls as they polished off the amazing soup.

Hyunjin sat back as he finished his soup. His eyes wandered over Felix’s face, looking at the freckles on his cheeks.

“So, where are you from Felix?” 

“Australia, I just moved here a few weeks ago” he answered.

“Hey my roommate, Chan is actually from Australia too! I’ll have to introduce you guys sometime. Anyway, how do you like it here?” Hyunjin asked in a way that made Felix want to tell him everything. Instead, he nodded, and smiled. Felix told him about his little flower shop and his apartment with the plants he was growing, while Hyunjin smiled and nodded.

“Wow, that's a _lot_ of plants, I don’t know how you do it… You know, my mom got me a cactus when I graduated but it died after a week.” He said sadly. “I can’t keep plants alive at all.”

The two sat together at the table for at least another hour just chatting. As the customers began to clear away and the night outside grew dark, they got ready to leave as well. Hyunjin went to the kitchen and waved bye to Chan before walking out with Felix. The two chatted as they walked down the street in the dark, the lights reflecting off their faces as they headed home. 

Felix had always considered himself an average height, but beside Hyunjin he felt short. Hyunjin stood at least three inches taller than him and walked, swinging his long arms slightly. 

Felix found himself walking just a little bit faster than normal as he tried to keep up with the taller boy. Before long they reached Felix’s apartment, and Hyunjin turned to Felix, his eyes big.

“You’re really cute, Felix. Maybe I’ll see you again soon?” He smiled before he turned and kept walking down the street.

Felix was reluctant to go to sleep that night. If this was all a dream, it was the best dream he’d ever had.

* * *  
A week later, Felix was trimming the older leaves from the zinnia flowers in the shop when the bell jingled for the third time that day. It had been a bit busier than usual as they’d neared the weekend. More people were preparing to go on dates so the rose stock was getting depleted. 

“Hi Felix,” a familiar voice behind him said happily. Felix turned to see Hyunjin was back. He looked really good, too.

His hair was down, almost reaching his shoulders, and he wore a light blue shirt over his jeans. He looked ethereal, Felix thought to himself as he greeted him happily.

“What can I get for you this time?”

“Yesterday Chan’s friends came over and one of them knocked over the bouquet I bought last week, I swear Jisung is so clumsy,” Hyunjin said. He looked annoyed but he giggled as he remembered Jisung waving his arms around mid story and accidentally sending the flowers flying. “Anyway, I tried to save them, but they’re all pretty much dead anyway so I was wondering if I could buy the same ones today?”

“Gardenia and Larkspur, right?” Felix recalled his previous bouquet as he headed over to make another bouquet.

“Yeah that’s right, also I came to ask you something,” Hyunjin fiddled with his daisy necklace looking slightly nervous. “So my friends are having dinner at my place tonight, and… well, I remember you were new here and I wasn’t sure if you have friends here yet, so I was wondering if you’d like to come over? My friends are pretty cool” Hyunjin trailed off, a pink tint to his cheeks that Felix found adorable.

He nodded quickly, hoping he didn’t seem too eager, but oh was he excited. 

“I’d love to come!” He said grinning. “Thank you for inviting me!”

“Of course! So it starts at 7:00, but I can come pick you up at 6:30, if that works for you?”

Felix nodded.

“Great see you then!”

* * * 

At 6:25, Felix paced around his apartment, nervous and excited at the same time. He had dressed up slightly, remembering Hyunjin’s outfit from earlier. He wore a soft green sweater, and nice jeans. He watered his plants, checking on each of them to distract himself from his nerves. A soft knock at his door a few minutes later announced Hyunjin’s arrival.

Felix opened it, and Hyunjin stood in his doorway, his dimples showing as he smiled. 

“Hey Felix, you look great,” he said. 

“Thanks, so do you!” Felix felt himself blush. 

“Can I see the plants?” Hyunjin asked suddenly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah of course,” Felix moved to the side so that Hyunjin could come in. He led him to the kitchen where most of the plants were. Hyunjin stood in the doorway, his face awestruck.

“I didn’t think it was possible to have this many plants...” he said softly. 

Felix chuckled, and together they headed out to Hyunjin’s car. 

Felix watched Hyunjin's hands on the steering wheel. He had really nice hands, and the way the sun shone on them was very pretty. 

They listened to music as Hyunjin drove them to his apartment, and they discovered that their taste in music was pretty similar. Felix saved the names of a few songs he hadn’t heard before to make sure they ended up on his playlist later.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Hyunjin and Chan’s apartment. Felix felt his nerves return as they walked up to the door. Hyunjin seemed to sense this, and before they went inside, he took his hand.

“Don’t worry Felix, they’re going to like you a lot,” He smiled reassuringly before he stepped back and opened the door. 

The smell of that blessed soup filled Felix’s nose as he stepped inside. Music was playing from another room as they entered the living room. Four boys were on the sofa watching while two boys on the floor in front of the couch battled each other in Mario Kart. 

They paused the game as Hyunjin and Felix came in, standing up to greet him.

“Everyone, this is Felix,” Felix smiled, as they all greeted him. There was a boy with round cheeks and bright eyes who loudly announced that he was Jisung. _Ah, so he was the one who knocked over the vase the other day_ Felix thought to himself.

A tall boy with strong eyebrows but really kind eyes introduced himself as Minho. A boy named Changbin said he liked his sweater. 

The two boys who’d been playing Mario Kart were Seungmin and Jeongin. A boy with red hair and pierced ears smiled and said he was Chan. 

“He’s from Australia too!” Hyunjin said excitedly as Chan introduced himself. Chan laughed and nodded. 

They were all so nice, and Hyunjin was right, they did like Felix. He felt warm as Chan announced the soup was ready. Everyone headed to the kitchen, affectionately labelled 'Chan’s Kitchen,’ and crowded around the table. 

They sat together, joking and laughing together as they enjoyed the soup. Felix felt warm thanks to his sweater, the steaming soup, and the seven new friends seated around the table. Hyunjin caught his eye and smiled a few times, and Felix wished somehow he could thank him for this.

Hyunjin drove Felix home a few hours later, they rode in comfortable silence, both warm and full of soup. The heater in the car kept both of them warm despite the chilly October air. Felix looked out the window at the stars that dotted across the sky. He wanted to remember this moment forever.

They arrived at Felix’s apartment a little while later. Hyunjin walked Felix to his door, where they stood for a moment gazing at each other. Neither one was sure of what to do. Felix glanced at Hyunjin’s lips, as he noticed Hyunjin doing the same. He smiled at Hyunjin.

“Thank you _(for everything)"_ He said, before he leaned up on his tip toes, pressing a soft kiss to Hyunjin's cheek. 

“Goodnight, Felix.”

And Felix was home.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, please let me know if you liked it!
> 
> <3


End file.
